


A Date with Death

by dueloffates



Series: Coffee and Gunpowder [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Rex/Cody if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25234507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dueloffates/pseuds/dueloffates
Summary: They're facing quite possibly the most dangerous mission of their careers- The Citadel. Is there a better time to ask someone out than when facing inevitable death?
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | Echo/CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555
Series: Coffee and Gunpowder [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828090
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	A Date with Death

“These hyperspace lanes are of immense interest to both our sides and could tip the scale of the war to whomever is in possession of them. That is all.” The hologram that was Captain Rex nodded then flickered away. The generals present- Plo Koon, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi- exchanged glances amongst one another then left the planning room together. Commander Cody turned to Echo and Fives, who stood just outside of the reach of the holomap, behind where Captain Rex’s hologram had been standing.

“At ease. Go get some rest, troopers. We need you to be at your very best tomorrow. There’s no telling what the Citadel has in store for us.”

Echo allowed his shoulders to fall lightly as his posture relaxed. “Yes, sir!”

Cody raised his finger at them. “Rest. That’s an order.” He turned to follow the generals. Then the commander paused and turned back to them. “I recommend that you skip breakfast tomorrow. I’ve heard carbon freezing is hell on digestion.”

“Of course, sir.” Echo had read the advising guide that had been dropped off on his bunk the day prior.

“Will you be packing snacks, sir?”

Echo felt a grin rise across his lips. He and Fives had known the commander since they were shinies, just as long as they had known Captain Rex, but as a commander Cody had to keep himself apart from the men in a way that Rex didn’t. The separation kept a running tension in all non-formal interactions between them and there was nothing that Fives loved more than increasing tension.

“Right next to the coloring books, Fives.” Cody’s expression didn’t soften.

Fives tried to conceal a smirk but found himself unable to do so. “Sir, yes, sir.”

Cody clapped them both on the shoulders before taking his leave from the room.

“Guess we should eat a large dinner then.” Fives shrugged as he raised his helmet above his head.

“I-, no.” Echo paused to don his helmet as well. “That’s almost just as bad. You’d know that if you actually read any of the regs.”

“Why would I do that? I have you.” Fives caressed the side of Echo’s helmet and Echo hoped that one of their commanding officers wouldn’t take the moment to suddenly reappear for some forgotten object. “Nothing could separate the Domino Twins.”

“Do they really call us that?” Echo leaned slightly into the touch.

“Ask them over dinner.”

* * *

Once the restless breaths of the surrounding men had softened, Fives lowered himself off the top bunk to where Echo lay on the bottom. Once Fives had manifested into his space, Echo moved over on the small mattress to let his squadmate in. Some rearranging was required for the two to move into a position that was mutually comfortable. In the end, Echo lay flat with Fives’ head resting against his breast. Fives’ left hand lightly traced the contours of Echo’s torso and Echo’s left hand rubbed slow circles into Fives’ back. Their legs tangled together in a desperate attempt to keep one another from slipping off the side of the mattress. They were silent for a long time before Echo spoke.

“Before the Citadel Challenge, back on Kamino, we were assigned a reading on the Citadel itself. You never did the reading, did you?”

“Mm, no.”

“It was meant to hold rogue Jedi. If it can hold even the Jedi, what chance do we clones have?”

“Well, the Jedi don’t have a date to go on when they get out.” Fives felt the movement on his back cease and hoped that he hadn’t gone too far. It was one thing to flirt with another being, one that could be forgotten with time and easily dismissed when questioned, but by asking Echo out he was solidifying and defining a relationship that could not be so easily ignored. Echo hummed, the vibration carrying through into Fives’ ear.

“A date? And what would we do on said date.”

“I don’t know, never been on one.”

Silence again. Until- “Maybe we could grab some caf next time we have leave. That’s what normal people do, right?”

“We’re not normal people, Echo.”

“We could pretend. Just for a day.” He went back to stroking Fives’ lower back. “Forget about being ARC Troopers, forget about the war, and just be two men grabbing a drink. I think I’d like that.”

“It’s a date?”

“It’s a date.” Fives savors the vibration of the word against his cheekbone. He pushed himself upwards so that he can set his face into the soft skin of Echo’s neck. He allows his lips to brush against Echo’s jawline and is surprised when Echo leans into the action. Fives wished that he’d said something earlier, had Echo like this for longer. Why had he waited until the night before an assignment that they would not likely come back from to ask? Maybe that was the reason. Maybe because somewhere deep in his chest he knew that only one of them would leave Lola Sayu alive.

The thought sat on his chest until he felt a fog tugging at his eyelids. Tonight they were not on Lola Sayu, tonight they were safe. Fives gave in to the call of sleep and allowed himself to sink further into Echo’s grip as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Echo was awakened by a firm hand on his shoulder as the soft scent of soap reached his senses. He reluctantly opened his eyes and his next breath caught in his throat when he saw the face of Captain Rex, who was wearing only his blacks. Of course; the footfall of a boot or the chuff of plastoid rubbing against plastoid would have awoken him and his brothers long before the captain had reached his bunk. He began to slowly untangle his limbs from Fives, who had been awoken by the jolt of Echo’s chest. The two silently stood at attention. The captain must have arrived late last night, or early this morning, in order to have been on board the Venator long enough to rest, rise characteristically early, and likely leave Cody in the shower, blinking slowly at the bare wall.

Rex nodded and the men followed him quietly to the adjacent room, where their armor sat in the neat piles they had left it in the night before. No one spoke as they assembled the pieces of plastoid and leather. It was all muscle memory at this point- the order of adornment, where to slide one’s fingers between the white plates, the final check for fit. In a short amount of time Echo found himself standing before a fully suited Captain Rex and Fives, who was suppressing a yawn.

The ARC Troopers followed their captain to the hangar, where they found Commander Cody standing silently over Charger and Longshot as the two conducted final inspections of their gear. They stayed with them as Rex walked off to find General Skywalker. Echo found his arms clutching his helmet to his chest as Fives and Cody talked. Occasionally Charger or Longshot would glance over to them, but the two clones were probably trying just as hard as Echo was to not imagine what lay in store for them within the walls of the Citadel. Assuming they could make it inside the walls. If this plan had been anyone but Skywalker’s he would’ve been calmly preparing to die before he could be unfrozen from the carbonite. He watched as General Skywalker’s astromech paraded the two freshly painted battledroids across the hangar.

“We’re trusting those droids to get us into the Citadel?” Fives, his voice soft in disbelief.

“It’s the only way. We’re flying right into the heart of Separatist territory. Droids won’t be detected.” Cody, wondering why Rex and Skywalker had allowed the droids to be painted 501st blue.

Echo gave a small nod in agreement with Cody, but he couldn’t hide the grimace that came over his face. He felt Fives’ gaze turn to him. Fives parted his lips as if to say something, then thought better of it and closed them again. Echo looked away, towards the carbon-freezing chambers. He felt a cold pit of dread in his stomach. He considered it to be hunger, though he knew that it couldn’t be. He was accustomed to skipping meals as necessary. But it was easier to pretend that he was hungry than to voice the dread that clutched at him. Fives had held it at bay overnight, but in the harsh lights of the hanger it was creeping back into him.

Soon they were being waved over to the carbon chambers. Echo followed Rex around until he was instructed to stand still on a platform. He could hear Fives from the other side of the apparatus.

“Are we sure this thing is safe? I don’t want to end up a wall decoration.”

“Try to relax. We’ll be unfrozen as soon as we arrive.” Obi-Wan, who was far more relaxed than either of them.

Echo gripped his helmet to his side with all his strength as he descended into the freezing chamber. Soon the cold pit in his stomach was balanced by the cold seeping across his skin.

* * *

“Cover me?” Echo turned to Fives as the line of shielded commando droids approached.

“Always.” Fives stepped out from behind the crate, shooting bolts that had no chance of making contact with the droids behind the shields. He heard Echo’s footsteps behind him and watched the explosion shatter the line of droids. In the afterglow of the explosion Fives didn’t see the commando that broke off for the cannon. Echo did.

“General Skywalker, a droid is manning one of those turrets. They’re gonna blow up the shuttle, sir.”

Without a word, Skywalker turned the STAP he was on to attack the turret. The clones watched as the turret blew them out of the sky. Skywalker and Master Piell rolled as they hit the ground, then broke for cover. Fives watched the turret start to turn towards the shuttle.

“This is our only chance. We’ve got to stop him!” Before Fives could say anything, Echo had left his side and was running towards a fallen shield. Fives ran after his brother. He saw the turret stop, then move towards them.

“Echo, look out!”

Echo dodged the initial fire, continuing to move towards the shuttle. Fives tried to run after him but was pushed back by a blast of fire. The shuttle.

“Echo!” Fives pushed himself to his feet, trying to remember where Echo had been standing. He’d had the shield facing the turret, he must have reached the shuttle but then the explosion happened. He’d had a shield, but it was facing towards the turret. Fives felt the thoughts race in circles in his head but wouldn’t let them reach a conclusion. He’d had a shield.

“We have to go now.” Obi-Wan, turning to lead the survivors away. Fives stood still for a moment more, his hand reaching out as if he could clear away the smoke and debris. Echo would be right there in just a moment. Damn it, he owed him a drink. He’d have to be there. Then the smoke began to clear, and the charred helmet became visible. Fighting down a cry, Fives turned and followed after his officers.

* * *

“We have to go.” A hand on his shoulder broke him from the fog of memories he had become lost in. He nodded, and the presence stepped away. One hand of flesh and one hand of metal set down the helmet they were holding as if it was made of glass. To him it may as well have been.

“You still owe me a drink.” He chuckled lightly under his breath as he reached for the newest helmet in the room, running his fingers lightly over the Rishi Eel painted onto the side of respirator unit. For the first time in weeks Echo felt like he had control over his life.

He missed the call from Rex, wouldn’t see it until days later when Clone Force 99 dragged themselves back onto the _Havoc Marauder_. But until he opened the hologram, Echo was at peace with the galaxy.

**Author's Note:**

> Second part in the series coming next week! Can stand alone but I hear some of you like “happy endings” so I’m going to try that out for once.
> 
> I saw some really cute Echo/Fives artwork and it was motivating. Like my last fic, I don’t think I’d say that I ship them but I’m a sucker for angst so here we are.
> 
> Speaking of my weak shipping morals, if you have a Star Wars ship and a prompt that you’d like a one-shot of hit me up and I will gladly manifest your idea. I’ve been wanting to write more fanfic but haven’t felt motivated by my fic ideas. Love angst but I could also work on my fluff skills I suppose.


End file.
